Infidel

I will admit - before I read this book, I thought that Islam itself was a religion of peace, and that rabid/fundamentalist Muslims had only chosen to interpret the book as they chose, (just like fundamentalist Christians) but Ayaan is clear and crisp in her explanation of the religion she grew up and how she came to realize the truth. The fact that so many Muslims want her death is evidence enough of that fact.

After reading this book, I went on the Internet to look for her film 'Submission'. It's a short film but with a powerful message. I thought it was beautifully done.

For anyone - Christian, Muslim, atheist, this book is a fascinating and informative read. Ayaan's analysis and thoughts are clear and cutting, and the reason so many show more Muslims hate her is because she speaks the truth that fundamentalist Muslims have no desire to hear, much less admit. But it's also a powerful message about religion itself, and not just Islam.

Update as of 2026) Other religions are just as guilty of fundamentalism. You have many peaceful Muslims who just want to live quiet lives and take care of their families and be happy, who have no interest in jihads or holy war or any of that, and many peaceful Muslims and Middle East folks are being terrorized by fundamentalists and whack jobs. show less

I was captivated by Ayaan Hirsi Ali's life story. So many women are trapped in these fundamentalist cultures and never have a chance. She managed to get out and is now a voice for these women. Oddly enough, this book reminded me of "Escape" by Carolyn Jessop, who risked her life to leave the FLDS with all 8 (if I remember correctly) of her children. Both women were able to escape from insular, oppressive living conditions because they worked hard to get an education that would support them, so they did not have to rely on other men for support. In Ali's case, she was able to become a member of Parliament in Holland, where she spoke out fiercely (and I do mean fiercely!!) for the rights of muslim women living in her adopted country.

One show more of the controversial aspects of this book is her strong (some people might say extreme) belief that the suppression/oppression of women comes directly from the central tenets of Islam. I can not address this aspect of the book, as my knowledge of Islam is quite limited. I am aware that many Muslims live fulfilling, happy and peaceful lives within their faith. I do believe that any religion can be used to abuse others when too rigidly interpreted. The book is well-written and honest, in the sense that Ali's strong beliefs are the result of her own experiences. I know this is a book I will revisit often. show less

What a life so far! The thing is, considering Ayaan Hirsi Ali's journey this autobiography can be read on so many different levels -all of them interesting and illuminating. Yet, from Siad Barré's dictatorship in Somalia to a broad picture of how differently Islam is practised in various parts of the world (Somalia, Saudi Arabia, Ethiopia, Kenya) 'Infidel' is, of course and above all, a tell of how radical Islam has nested its poison even within the Western world.

Cultural relativism? Multiculturalism? Tolerance and open-mindedness as seen mostly from a liberal perspective? Having experienced fundamentalism first-hand (circumcised, she fled an arranged marriage and escaped in Holland where, she campaigned for the rights of women at the show more risk of her life) Hirsi Ali bullshits it all here in a gruelling life story which is as engrossing as it is unsettling.

Yes, she finally turned an atheist and could sound, therefore, as an apostat full of resent towards her previous faith. However, here's not a rant against organised religions, nor is it an ignorant display of Islamophobia! Far from that. 'Infidel' is, on the contrary, a very relevant and challenging read warning, denouncing and criticising a certain view of Islam that needs to be addressed for what it is -a cruel, hypocrite and repressive totalitarian system, barbaric to the point of being inhuman.

Passionate, bright and articulate, she surely is harsh and doesn't spare her strong opinion. But in the world we now live in and, in regard to her appalling and moving personal experience, here's a call to no longer burry our heads in the sand. Remarkable. show less

Absolutely captivating. Ali guides us through her childhood, as she persevered through abuse, war, assault, and her spiritual struggles as she grew out of her Islamic upbringing into atheism. Her story will resonate with anyone who was raised in a religious household and has since expanded towards agnosticism or atheism. Some reviews have criticized Ali for using her autobiography to push her political agenda, however I argue that autobiographies are inherently biased, so of course it favors her political stance. There is no way to be impartial when writing about your own life.

In this memoir, Hirsi Ali recounts her upbringing in Somalia and Kenya, where she chose a strict form of Islam. Forced to marry a man she didn't even respect, she chose to flee her fate and ended up in the Netherlands where she was exposed to new freedoms.
This is an eye-opening and authentic account of one life. Hirsi Ali does not pretend to talk about any other experiences than her own, but she does expose the many ways in which women are oppressed in traditional Muslim structures. Her courage, tenacity and openness are extraordinary especially at a young age after having borne more than her fair share, from physical abuse to dramatic family circumstances, and constant uprooting. Certainly, she has reshaped my perception of what we show more should accept as a society, a topic that has not abated in 20 years. It brings to mind, Popper's view that unlimited tolerance must lead to the disappearance of tolerance. If we extend unlimited tolerance even to those who are intolerant, if we are not prepared to defend a tolerant society against the onslaught of the intolerant, then the tolerant will be destroyed, and tolerance with them. show less

I found this autobiography of Ayaan Hirsi Ali totally fascinating. It amazed me how this woman proceeded as a child in Somalia from a family of devout Muslims to the atheist activist member of the Dutch parliament that she eventually became.

Her story takes us on travels through Somalia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States. It shows us the progression of her change from a devout Muslim to an atheist. It lays bare the facts of Islam which bind it to religious beliefs from centuries ago making it almost a contradiction in the modern world and to human rights. Ironically, it also gave me more of an understanding of the way Islam is practiced in the modern world and why.

I was also astonished to show more learn of the large Muslim population in the Netherlands and what upheaval Ali's progressive agenda for women's rights gave to the Dutch parliament. Being the liberal country that the Netherlands is, what surprised me even more was that, by protecting immigrants' rights, that country was inadvertently giving free rein to abuse of women for such acts as infibulation, wife beating, forced marriages, forced body covering, and honor killing.

This is a brave book in the way that it exposed Ali to fear for her life due to those Muslims who intend to kill her for being an "infidel". She has dedicated her life to making this world a better place for all women. She also gives us food for thought as to how religion can work for us or against us as we incorporate it into our daily lives and to what extent we do that. show less

i shouldn't have been surprised, with the title of this book being infidel, that this was so much about the evils and dangers of islam, but i was. reading christopher hitchens' introduction, though, set the stage well for the rest of the book ("The cause of backwardness and misery in the Muslim world is not Western oppression but Islam itself: a faith that promulgates contempt for Enlightenment and secular values. It teaches hatred to children, promises a grotesque version of an afterlife, elevates the cult of 'martyrdom,' flirts with the mad idea of forced conversion of the non-Islamic world, and deprives societies of the talents and energies of 50 percent of their members: the female half." i mean, this book is mostly about her life show more and what brought her from somalia to america (and everything in between) and from muslim to atheist.

her crises of faith were much like the ones i myself had when slowly leaving judaism, so i can relate to her blossoming understanding of the cage that religion can be. especially for women, which is her main point about islam - that women are mistreated and the religion itself holds them back and keeps them from being full people. (she says it does the same to men, but they aren't her focus, as women are so physically abused by the islamic system she is fighting.) her descriptions of somalia, saudi arabia, kenya, are all hard to read. both the way people live under corrupt governments, and how the people were treated by the men in their families. i have never read such a clear account of female genital mutilation (she called it excision, as they literally excise the tissue) and that was horrifying to read but also really important to know exactly what they do. what they still do.

i worry that religious people of other faiths can read this book just as a warning against islam, but it's not. it's about all religions, especially those that don't consider women equal to men. (this is why christopher hitchens did the introduction.) her focus is on islam because that is what she knows, but this is about the dangers of falling into a religion without questioning its tenets; it's about thoughtlessly believing in something that may have made sense hundreds of years ago but that needs updating (but that isn't allowed to be updated); it's about western people being too afraid of being called racist to actually evaluate what a religion is saying. (she believes that islam is not a religion of peace and nonviolence, if you look at the words actually in the quran it is very violent and does not promote equality - either between the sexes or people of different religions.) it's this last that most of my takeaway focuses on - how to be both liberal in acceptance and understanding, while not losing the ability to critique a religion for ways it oppresses.

there is a lot to think about here, for sure.

"...some things must be said, and there are times when silence becomes an accomplice to injustice." show less